1. What it is you think you know?
Session 3: Learning Styles & Preferences
Slide 1-2 (1 min)
• Introduce the session and show the 'starter' slide. Ask the group to comment on the quote and consider how 'perception' is relevant to teaching and learning.

2. Perception
“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is – infinite”
William Blake
3 mins
Introduce the session and ask participants to comment on the quote. What does it mean to them?
The Morgan Library, Wikimedia

3. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, you will:
Reflect on your own learning experiences & preferences
Be able to maximise training success by understanding learning preference(s)
Think about how to incorporate activities to stimulate different learning preferences
Recognise that training is an ongoing experiment
(0 min)
• Highlight the learning objectives for the session

4. Activity: Learning how to drive a car or (learn a language)
Reflect on your learning experience and write down:
3 x less or unsuccessful methods, tools, learning approaches
3 x successful methods, tools, learning approaches
Slide 4-5 (30 mins)
• Think about the experiences you encountered as a learner driver (or another learning experience for example; learning how to ride a bicycle or learn a language). Think about what supported your learning experience or challenged you? What methods made you feel uncomfortable or were less successful? (E.g. you liked reading books but didn’t learn much from spoken instructions). What activities or experiences did you enjoy or found particularly successful? The answers to these questions will help you to observe a pattern about the way you like to learn.
• Note that learning style and learning preference are used interchangeably through-out this training session.
• Ask the group to write 3 successful and 3 less successful methods, tools, learning approaches they used to learn how to drive (or another learning experience), on 3 separate post-it notes. Give the participants about 3-5 mins to complete this task. Instruct participants to share their thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
• Now ask participants to form a group (up to four separate groups) and move to the tables where they will find a flip-chart resource. Get the participants to plot their learning methods on the flip chart resource (that you have prepared) which shows three rings for seeing, hearing and listening. Which category does the method fall under? In the case of those examples that fall under two (or all three) senses place the method in the appropriate overlapping segment of the diagram.
• For now we will only focus on the learning style: 1. Audio, Visual and Kinaesthetic.
• Discuss what this activity tells the participants about the way individuals learn. Does everyone use the same methods?
• In the centre of the table, ask the participants to paste their responses on the chart. Look at the resource for the group and identify the different ways we learn. If there is time walk around the room and see what others have said.
• Prompt the participants to think about their training experiences and whether they have used a variety of methods to stimulate learning. If you have time ask a couple of participants to share their thoughts (reflections) otherwise point out these reflections could be captured in their learning journals.
Disk Depot, Wikimedia 4

5. Hearing / listening Seeing /reading Moving / trying hearing & seeing
hearing & trying
hearing,
seeing
& trying
seeing & trying

6. Preference & Style Nationaal Archief, Flickr Slide 6-7(2 mins)
• Each person perceives, processes, stores and retrieves information in a unique way that is individual to their learning preference and style.
• Educational researchers, psychologists and sociologists observed adults in education settings and identified patterns of learner preferences. They hoped to determine commonalities in learning style and use this research to inform teaching and learning theory. Although there is an ongoing debate about the value of learning style theory, what we can be certain of is that people process information in different ways and are therefore stimulated or motivated by different activities or resource materials.
• Ask the group to look at the images presented before them, what do the images convey about learning preferences? Do these experiences feel familiar, appear more successful? What do we know about the students' learning experience in slide 6. Do the students look engaged?
Nationaal Archief, Flickr

7. Learning patterns US National Archives, Flickr 2 mins
Show slide 7 and ask the same question – do the students look engaged?
Ask the participants to identify the student who: likes to learn by doing (e.g. the students who are playing with an airplane will fall into this category); likes to be stimulated by pictures (e.g. the little boy in a red shirt who is looking at the paintings) and finally the student who likes to listen to instructions (e.g. the little girl who is trying to quieten the students)
US National Archives, Flickr

8. Structure verbeeldingskr8, Flickr Slide 8 (1 mins)
• Learners prefer different types of input and experiences, For example: some learners prefer to have structured learning experiences (for example: using the same learning format) whilst others don't mind being flexible. Other learners may prefer to learn independently while others like to learn in a social or group setting. Some learners prefer to listen to learning materials (e.g. radio shows or podcasts), while others may prefer to watch a video (see). Finally some learners prefer to learn by doing.
• It is important to note that although adults may have an inherent learning preference they will learn in most environments because they are flexible and adaptable. However, learning may be more memorable (or expeditious) if the learners' preferences is targeted.
• Ask participants to listen to the definitions of different learning preferences. Give participants time at the end of each slide to reflect on the new information and assess whether this is an example of their preferred learning style.
verbeeldingskr8, Flickr

9. Flexible verbeeldingskr8, Flickr 1 mins
Some individuals like to learn flexibly (rather in a structured way). These individuals are flexible in their approach and prefer variety rather than structured models and approaches.
verbeeldingskr8, Flickr

10. Independent Shaun Mitchem, Wikimedia 1 mins
Some individuals, like this little child, are able to learn independently if they are given the right support. These individuals need less assistance but will come to the instructor from time to time to get support or guidance. These individuals prefer to discover concepts alone.
Independent
Shaun Mitchem, Wikimedia

11. Social Danilobu, Wikimedia 1 mins
Some individual like to learn in groups through discussions or group activities. These types of learners enjoy solving problems in groups and learn through vocalising and sharing their ideas with others.
Danilobu, Wikimedia

12. Hear, See, Move SixSigma, Wikimedia 1 mins
Here is a model of learning styles that is known as oral, visual and kinesthetic learning styles. This image shows the differences in learning preferences as some individuals prefer to learn through visual methods (e.g. videos or pictures), others prefer to hear new concepts (e.g. through podcasts or lectures) and then there are those in the classroom who can’t sit still and want to jump in and try things. They are more tactile in their approach. They are kinesthetic learners.
Hear, See, Move
SixSigma, Wikimedia

13. Are we doing a disservice?
Assessing learning styles
Various Instrument available:
Personality Type Indicator Myers - Briggs
Learning Styles Inventory Dunn & Dunn
More exist.... Look online
Slide (3 mins)
• Can you begin to see a pattern emerge about your preferred learning style?
• Trainers should know their own learning preferences can have an impact on their training style - as they may teach using methods that draw on the methods they use to learn – this may have negative impact on our training participants. Knowing about learning styles will result in the selection of a range of learning activities – which motivates participants to learn; reduces misunderstanding or undesirable behaviour.
• That said, it is important that we work towards changing attitudes and behaviours through helping our target audience to grow and develop beyond their learning preference.
• Ask participants to reflect on their own learning style by reviewing the modes of learning written on their post-it notes. Does it tell them something new about themselves? Does it tell them something about the way they have chosen to train in the past?
• Ask the participants to share their reflections. Prompt their responses by asking the three questions on slide 14.
US National Archives, Flickr

14. Reflection What is your ‘usual’ training style?
Does it include / exclude your trainees?
What must you now take into account?
• Ask the participants to share their reflections. Prompt their responses by asking the three questions on slide 14.
Mike Baird, Flickr.com

15. Assessing learning styles
Various instruments available:
Personality Type Indicator: Myers – Briggs (
Learning Styles Inventory: Dunn & Dunn (
Multiple intelligences: Gardner
More exist.... Look for learning styles online
(1 min)
• There are several diagnostic instruments that help people identify their learning preference. Myers and Briggs Personality type indicator test is probably one of the best known but there are several other approaches. Look online for more examples.
• Introduce the diagnostic tools and refer participants to the Internet to find out more.

16. Summary: Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, you will:
Aware of your own learning experiences & preferences
Training can be improved through awareness of different learning preference(s)
Plan to incorporate activities that will stimulate different learning preferences
Acknowledge training is an ongoing experiment

17. Course materials developed by Siobhan Duvigneau
Information Literacy manager, IDS
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22/09/2018